Mandisa's in the house

Ok, I'm sitting here on the couch, chilling after a great day off...spent all day with my beautiful little girl, Faith. (Nana & Aunt Melody, we loooove the stroller!) She is cuter than ever, and I actually wish she would just stay the size she is right now for a long time. She is so cuddly and perfect size for my arms. Jaime was able to come home for lunch today, which was awesome (she started back to work this week, part-time), and then she was home for good at 3:15 pm. So we got to spend some good time together as well. Faith's taking a quick snooze, and Jaime ran up to the store for some scrapbook supplies...and the only other thing on the couch is my Nilla wafers...

When all of a sudden, Mandisa, on American Idol, busts out with a TESTIMONY to God's power in her life with a song "I wanna praise you" by Mary, Mary. INCREDIBLE! The song was great, for what it is, and she's clearly a person of great faith and bubbly energy & vitality. But what's incredible is her ability to sing that song on a show like Idol, to go completely against the grain of Hollywood and boldly share her faith. Clearly, it wasn't what celebrity judges Randy & Simon were looking for (not surprisingly). Paula blurted out that a bunch a people are now converting to the church of Mandisa, to which Mandisa quickly shook her head (of which I was proud). It's safe to say that none of them really got it.

Ok, for the 1st time this season, I'm texting in a vote...and I'm voting for Mandisa. To this point, I was pulling for Chris D, who I still believe will win, but I'm so proud of Mandisa, and I know the Lord will bless her for her boldness. And I think Simon was dead wrong on Chris, Idol needs to be a lot less Pop-ish, and Chris' rock style is a welcome relief from popurbia.

Psalm 73:28 says "But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds." Mandisa stood up and proclaimed God's goodness tonight, and it moved me.

My prediction: Bucky's going home. And Mandisa has a huge career ahead of her in gospel music.

Dallas Trip, Round 2

Here I am with all my cousins....it's fun being the only girl!
This is my cousin Bennett....he's so wonderful to me!
Here's my Granddad. He sings to me and reads me Bible stories.
This is my new friend Kennedy. She was a flower girl in my parents wedding.
This is my Aunt Darla. She bought me this cute outfit for my 1st trip to the park.
This is my Daddy with my Uncle Michael (don't they look alike!!) and cousins Stone and Sterling
Sterling is ready to hit the track with my Daddy.
My Uncle Brad is the greatest. He gave me that really cute pink cowgirl hat.
My Nana and Briggs (Aunt Mel & Bennett) all greeted me at the airport.
These are the WONDERFUL ladies my Mommy used to work with at The Shelton Speech Clinic.

Cool new book on Fatherhood / Faith's 3 mo pic

To all of my "new father" friends, I highly recommend Stephen James & David Thomas' new book, Becoming a Dad: A Spiritual, Emotional and Practical Guide.

Here's a great quote:

"Fatherhood calls us to acknowledge our heart and embrace the truth that lives within us all. Becoming a joy-filled father is about embracing the hope that relationships really can be good, full and rich. It is about entering into and leading our children toward an abundant life replete with pain and mystery. The priorities of joy-filled fathering must never be about doing more, learning more, acquiring more skills. Rather, our focus as godly men must remain about discovering a life of authenticity and abundance based in the person of Christ. It is about stepping into the mystery of being and living truthfully out of how we are uniquely and wonderfully made."

As Faith develops her little personality & begins to be more & more interactive, it's getting harder to leave her in the mornings! Say a prayer for Jaime, and all of us, as she prepares to head back to work part-time next week...Lord willing, she'll get to stay home for good once the school year is out.

Mocha Marble Macchiatos and Musings on Worship

It's Friday, thanks to a friend I've got a steaming Mocha Marble Macchiato (new at Starbucks) sitting by my computer, and life is good.

Here's a thought-provoking quote about worship from one of my favorite authors:

"It is absolutely essential that the church keep God as the subject of worship since to be Christian means to believe that the God revealed in Jesus Christ is everything to us - Creator, Provider, and Sustainer; Deliverer, Redeemer and Lord; Sanctifier, Inspirer and Empowerer.Friendship, instruction, and other aspects of the gathered community are important, but we lose our reason for being if we do not constantly remember that God has called us to be his people and our ability to respond to that call in worship and life is totally the gift of God's grace." Amen!

I like this quote because at various times we all forget what we're coming for week after week, and we sometimes turn into consumers..."I want this!" or "I want more of that!" And thankfully, with great relief, it's nice to know...it's not about us. Thank you Marva Dawn, for your marvelous book "Reaching Out without Dumbing Down: A Theology of Worship for the Turn of the Century Culture".

and a little more about the meaning of the word...

"The word worship comes from the Old English roots weorth, meaning "honor" and "worthiness," and scipe, signifying "to create.""

Have a great weekend, and if you want EXTRA worship, join us at the ARLINGTON Church of Christ for a night of praise, beginning tomorrow night at 6:30 pm. www.acocfamily.org

Pics from our Trip to Dallas

Firsts For Faith

We returned around midnight last night from a wonderful 5 day trip to Dallas, TX to see friends & family. No surprise, Faith was the big hit. It was quite a weekend for us all...here are a few firsts for our little girl:

Her 1st time on an airplane...
Her 1st time to a surprise birthday party...(my bro turned 40 - Casino theme...no, not real $$$)
Her 1st time to a not-surprise birthday party...(my nephew turned 5 - Nascar theme)
Her 1st trip to Texas...
Her 1st time to experience 83 degree weather...
Her 1st sighting of tulips and daffodils and spring flora and fauna...
Her 1st time to meet her cousins Bennett & Briggs, and Uncle Brad...
Her 1st extended walk in a stroller outside...
Her 1st time to wear outfits without sleeves!
Her 1st night in her crib...(when we got home last night, she did great!)
Her 1st roller hockey game...
Her 1st Thai meal...(the same exact restaurant of mommy & daddy's 1st date)
Her 1st Texas BBQ meal...(Sonny Bryan's for our Texas friends, not the best, but right up there)
Her 1st time to eat at Blue Mesa, the restaurant to beat for southwestern mexican food.
Her 1st visit to the Preston Road C of C, where mommy & daddy met & fell in love.

As you can imagine, this week I'll be showing you lots of pictures.

And thanks to all of our friends & family for all of the meals, hospitality and good times.

Visit from Uncle Michael, Aunt Darla and Cousins Stone & Sterling

I had soooooooo much fun with my cousins Stone & Sterling. Also, Uncle Michael & Aunt Darla are pretty cool, too. I wish they would come more often!

The 1st pic is my first wrestling match with Stone, which he won, but on the 2nd match (not pictured here), I had him pinned in a flash.

The 2nd pic above is when Sterling first saw me...I pretended I was choking so a responsible adult would pick me up. All in all, Sterling's a great guy, but I wasn't sure at first.

The bottom pic is when they first walked in the door and saw me for the 1st time. Based on his expression, you can tell my uncle Michael was speechless, which doesn't happen very often.

Thanks for the visit, Grandman & Mimi!

Thanks for the visit, Grandman & Mimi! I had a great time with you, and thanks for helping mommy & daddy so much. They REALLY APPRECIATE your visit, and your help around the casa. (They are already teaching me spanish.)

And to my dear cousins Stone & Sterling, I haven't forgotten about your memorable visit. I will post those pics soon! Love, Faith.

To my FXCC family...get ready! www.fxcc.org/40days

For This Child We Prayed

An excerpt from the "carepages" website from Tim Schwamb, father of baby Lauren, who so many of you prayed for when she was born with several difficulties in mid-January...

"On Day 45 of life, Lauren Alexis Schwamb came home! She's doing just fantastic!! Her family's excited, she looks great, and she seems content in her new surroundings. What a wonderful day! Words cannot describe what it felt like carrying her out of the hospital today!"

GOD IS SOOOOO GOOD. Let us give Him thanks for this incredible, huge, wonderful answer to our prayers.

Information about her special baby dedication will be coming soon, that is, as soon as the Schwambs are ready to put it in their schedule. :) We are eager to celebrate this awesome blessing from God with you, Schwambs!

This past weekend was the FXCC Ladies' Retreat, which gave me some awesome daddy/daughter time with Faith. Faith, you are so much fun to be with...I can't wait to spend more time with you this afternoon when I get home. Your smiles are the best gift ever! Love you!

Watch for pictures of Faith's birth dedication yesterday in church...coming this week.

Faith Kinder has something to tell you!

Smiling willingly at her parents, batting at objects on her play gym, sleeping soundly through the night, cooing at her mommy, weighing over 12 pounds, printing with a sharpie on a large index card...that's our Faith.

Happy Anniversary to my beautiful wife!

It's been two years since you walked down the aisle just after midnight on Valentines' Day, 2004. I'll never forget it! You looked so radiant and stunning. Thanks for the best two years of my life, Jaime. It just keeps getting better. God is good!

The background of the pic is the quilt that our dear friend Heidi made for us, consisting of hand-made pieces from our families and dear friends with well wishes for our special day. In the foreground is our precious little 8 week old Faith Kinder. I now go around the house saying, I remember when we had a one-month old! sniff sniff. She'll be packing for college any day now. It's going so fast.

Quick Survey (and pic of Faith in $50,000 auto)

What's the song/hymn that best helps you worship God? (said a different way, what's your favorite song to sing in church?)

ok, ok, a quick pic of the baby as well... little Faith in Daddy's dream auto at the Washington Auto Show...a 2006 Land Rover LR3...someday...maybe when I write a blockbuster worship anthem like "Really Shout to the Lord" or "Lord, I Lift Your Name Up High", something original.

Faith goes to Chinatown!

From Faith...
It's not every family that would take their 5 week old to Chinatown in Washington, D.C. But the Auto Show was in town, and it was daddy's birthday, so I insisted that we go.

To my other five week old friends, have you ever been to Chinatown?

Great Visit from Granddad and Granlyn

My dad, Leon and his wife, Marilyn, came all the way from Memphis, TN to visit their new granddaughter! We had a wonderful visit, and Faith enjoyed every bit of the spoiling. Thanks for all of the ongoing prayers, encouragement, and help while you were here! Dad worked non-stop on household projects, and Marilyn read Faith several stories & made sure she stayed happy while Jaime did some sewing.

Faith loves her Aunt Melody!

Aunt Melody came for a 4-day visit last week, all the way from Dallas, TX. We had such a great time.

Thanks Mel, for all your hard work around the house, and for holding Faith so we could get things done! We love you! (Faith's birth announcement pics, well, I'd say 40 of the 145...no exaggeration...were taken in an outfit from Aunt Melody.)

Photos of Recent Visitors Coming!

Baby Faith has recently enjoyed visits from Granddad & Granlyn, Aunt Melody, then Uncle Michael, Aunt Darla, and cousins Stone & Sterling...she has had so much fun meeting her family!
And thanks to all of her family for working so hard when you were here to help us out...jobs around the house, washing dishes, laundry, meals, holding baby Faith (most importantly).

We will post pictures soon.

Jaime had her 6 week checkup yesterday, and the doctor bragged and bragged on her to Faith saying, "Your momma did such a good job bringing you into this world! She was terrific!" It was so cute seeing Faith listen to her...it was like Faith was thinking..."you look familiar...where I have seen you before..." Dr. Rausch later said she has been holding Jaime up as a hero to her patients to help them push through the toughest part to avoid a C-section. I was so proud to be Jaime's husband!

Baby Lauren had a rough day yesterday, docs spotted more fluid build-up, so they put the chest tubes back in. Keep her in your prayers.

And I hereby offer a small tribute of blog space (all that I can offer) to the late Corretta Scott King. May we all continue the fight to "let justice roll down like a river, and righteousness like an never failing stream!"

Hey, and I'm going to post real soon about www.one.org. check it out.

New Place for Lauren Updates

The Schwamb family has created a personalized Web page
called a Baby CarePage to celebrate their new addition and would like
you to view it! Please visit their CarePage to get all the latest news
about the baby and leave messages of support.

To visit the CarePage, just click the link below:

http://www.carepages.com/ServeCarePage?cpn=LaurenSchwamb

(If you cannot click through this link, please copy and paste the
entire URL into your browser's address window.)

...or you can use these manual instructions:

1. Go to www.carepages.com
2. Click "Visit a CarePage"
3. Register (first-time users only)
4. After you've registered, enter the exact CarePage Name below:

LaurenSchwamb

**********

We had a wonderful time of praise & prayer last night at the chapel of the naval hospital in Bethesda. Tim & Cristi have so much faith and through their attitudes & outlook, they bring God glory! As does the precious little baby Lauren...in her lifetime (2 weeks this Saturday), she has brought people closer to God...how awesome.

We'll bring an update on baby Faith soon...

Jan 24 Update on Lauren

More praises! More thanksgivings! We are celebrating every victory, aware of the miracles that God is still working on...

She opened the OTHER eye yesterday, and her parents were able to see her little brown eyes. They rejoiced in this development, and we rejoice with them!

Is it not totally awesome (sorry, valley girls) that these 'eye openings' happened on the prayer vigil days?

By the way, I just discovered through a Praise Baby DVD (it sounds like the title is meant to praise the baby, but the whole thing is filled with worship music, so don't let the title throw you off...) a new song called "Made to Praise" by Amy Vest. It is wonderful...perfect song about little babies being made to worship God. I will share the lyrics with you as soon as can find them.

Lauren Update

from Lisa Bosley..."Spoke with Christi Schwamb a few minutes ago and she and Tim are so feeling the prayers of our family here at Fairfax – Lauren had a great day yesterday and for the first time, even opened one eye!!!!! Thank you God!!!"

How awesome that this precious baby opened one of her eyes on the day of our prayer vigil! God is so good!

The 24 hour prayer vigil began officially last night at 7:30 pm, and concludes tonight. I hope that many of you will CONTINUE TO PRAY THIS WEEK IN THEIR "SLOT" for baby Lauren. She desperately needs our prayers.

It's in God's Word...the prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective. Let's anticipate more good news tomorrow!

Update on Lauren / Prayer Vigil Tonight

We found out today that the doctors have determined that the problem is with Lauren's heart. For many reasons, she is not a candidate for a transplant nor for corrective surgery. Lauren needs a miracle from our awesome, and extremely capable, God!

The good news is, she is at her lowest weight yet (good because that means her fluid level is decreasing) and she is also utilizing her ventilator at the lowest level yet (good because she is breathing now more on her own). Praise God!

I just keep reminding myself about the red sea parting, the walls of Jericho, Lazarus' resurrection, Christ's resurrection and claiming those promises for Lauren and for all of us. All of the promises in God's Word are YES in Christ Jesus. NOTHING IS TOO HARD FOR THE LORD.

The prayer vigil is underway, it started at 7:30 pm tonight, and God the Father is hearing little Lauren's name constantly for the next 24 hours!

Pray without ceasing!